Nov-15-2011 |
Notice
To Vendors: State Employee Receipt of Gifts and Event
Attendance
As the holiday season approaches, it is important to
remind our many valued vendors about the State Uniform
Ethics Code provisions that prohibit State employees
from accepting any gift, favor, service or other thing
of value related in any way to their public duties.
In addition, State rules prohibit vendors from offering
gifts to State employees. While we certainly value the
relationships that we have established with our vendors,
please understand, as public agencies, we simply cannot
accept any gifts.
Accordingly, any gift offered to or received by an employee
or his/her spouse, immediate family member, partner
or associate must be immediately reported by the employee
and remitted to the agency’s Ethics Liaison Officer.
These gifts will be returned to the giver or donated
to an approved charitable organization if the item is
perishable or if the return is not practical.
Ethics rules also prohibit employees from accepting
invitations to attend social events or functions, including
holiday parties, sponsored by interested parties. As
a result, employees are required to decline such invitations.
The State Ethics Commission Rules define an "Interested
Party" as:
1. |
Any person, or employee, representative
or agent thereof, who is or may reasonably be anticipated
to be subject to the regulatory, licensing or supervisory
authority of the State official's agency; |
2. |
Any supplier, or employee, representative or agent
thereof; |
3. |
Any organization that advocates or represents
the positions of its members to the State official's
agency; or |
4. |
Any organization a majority of whose members are
as described in paragraphs 1 through 3 above. |
We ask that all vendors please respect these rules and
refrain from sending any gifts or inviting State employees
and officers to any social functions.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation. We wish
you a happy holiday season
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